[Getting To Know You]

18 hours ago, Peggy said:

Hi Ben,

Welcome back!  There's a range to some degree but for sure, boomers around

Peggy

 

If you go to your profile, you'll see the prior posts that you've made.

 

Thanks, Peggy! Good to hear. This site has some good song challenges. 

[Getting To Know You]

Greetings! I've been a member for a while but haven't posted anything, or maybe I did and don't remember. I'm old! 

 

Any other babyboomers here, or is it just for youngsters?

[Headphones for mixing]

I just received my Samsons and they sound great! Thanks for the advice, David and Mono!

[Headphones for mixing]

Okay, after extensive research (including David's and MonoStones opinions) I've decided on the Samsons. Reviewers say the AKGs are a bit muddy compared to the Samsons, and the Samsons should be a bit louder due to lower impedance.

 

Thanks!

[Headphones for mixing]

I was thinking about getting these:

AKG K 240 Semi-Open Studio Headphones

https://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_4

 

The Samsons have a slightly broader frequency range and they're cheaper. MonoStone, what do you think of the Samsons?

[Lengthy Songs?]

It depends on the song. If you have a lot to say, and you can make it interesting, long songs are great!

[Zoom H2N Mic/recorder.. I Need Help With Settings!]

Make sure you record with a metronome or you'll never be able to add drums to it.

[What Usb Audio Interface Do You Recommend?]

I have a Tascam US-200.  They don't make it any more and now have units with bells and whistles (and a price increase) you wouldn't need.  Key things to want in any interface are the capability to record at least 48 kHz/24-bit, at least two instrument/mic inputs, phantom power for condenser mics and a mix/direct function that lets you monitor your recording directly bypassing any latency delay issues via software monitoring from your DAW.

 

Fellow member Lil Orange posted about this one recently. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/alesis-io2-express-audio-interface?source=3WWRWXGP&gclid=Cj0KEQjwveufBRDlsNb3kb-twMIBEiQASNH0xvJfUvCkXxFCcFhZPqrhNwjH6GrTzSMpGGk8it6W-MQaApwL8P8HAQ&kwid=productads-plaid^80558285547-sku^485880000000000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^51870555867

 It looks like it will do a good all-around job for you, and it's pretty cheap - $69.00.  OH, like my Tascam, this Alesis has MIDI in and out too - another plus to have.

 

Hey David,

Yeah, I looked at the Alesis iO2. It's a good price, but it only got about 3-1/2 stars on Amazon. I try not to buy anything with less than 4 stars if I can help it.

 

It looks like the Tascam US-200 is still available (albeit discontinued). They also make the US-144MKII for $97.90, which looks like a good unit. Most of the problems seemed to stem from drivers -- not from the unit itself. I used a Tascam 4-track recorder for years without any problems. 

 

Thanks for your help!

Ben

[What Usb Audio Interface Do You Recommend?]

Do you have a decent Mic?

I would say the audio interface gives you options to plug in other instruments directly.. Keyboards, electric guitars, bass guitars, acoustics with bugs... You may not gave access to them now, but you might, especially if you start working with other musicians.

I will have a look at the latest and let you know my thoughts. Are there any specific interfaces you are considering?

 

Hey John,

 

I have a Sure SM57, which is decent.

 

I've been reading reviews on Amazon and the cheaper USB audio interfaces seem to be problematic. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 seems to be popular and fairly highly rated, but it's $50 more than I wanted to spend. But maybe I should shell out the extra bucks. My recordings thus far haven't been very good quality since I just plugged a cheap mixer into the line in port of the computer. I want to make sure what I buy is going to give me professional quality

 

[What Usb Audio Interface Do You Recommend?]

A huge number of USB audio interfaces are available and I'm having a tough time deciding which one to get. I'd like to keep it under $100. Or should I just get a USB mic? I'm just doing some home recording with an acoustic guitar and vocals recorded separately. 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Stressed And Unstressed Syllables]

Check lesson 4 in this free, Pat Pattison class through Coursera:

https://class.coursera.org/songwriting-007

 

He gets into which words and syllables to stress in a workshop setting.

[Lengthy Songs?]

It depends on your target audience. If you're targeting stoners, longer is often better as long as it's interesting. Pop music audiences have short attention spans and like short songs. If the song is long, it generally needs interesting backing instruments or solos; singing alone won't keep the listener interested.

[This Is Creeping Me Out.]

I'm gonna have nightmares from that.